Dalbergia Duo (Anna Rutkowska & Julianna Siedler Smuga) is a unique female marimba/percussion duo from Poland, whose performances are filled with a mixture of sensitivity and elemental women’s power. These two marimba ladies put together on stage create multitude of colours and picturesque musical landscapes. Dalbergia Duo perform a variety of musical styles and genres including both pieces already written by great world known composers of classical and contemporary music, and those commissioned by the Duo. They actively cooperate with composers of the young generation, building new sonic vocabulary for marimbas. They also give new life to the “classics” written for other instruments inter alia piano compositions by Polish masters Karol Szymanowski or Ignacy Jan Paderewski. There are no performing boundaries for Dalbergia Duo. Apart from the classical repertoire the artists deal with contemporary performative compositions with audio-visual layers, as well as theatrical works.
In 2017 both artists obtained the Doctors of Musical Arts degree in Performing Arts. Anna graduated from percussion class of Academy of Music in Cracow (Poland), Julianna graduated from percussion class at Academy of Music in Lodz (Poland), marimba class at Royal Conservatory in Antwerp and percussion theatre in LUCA Lemmensinstitute in Leuven (Belgium).
In 2019 Dalbergia Duo won 2nd Prize at IMKA International Internet Music Competition in Sarajevo (Bosnia & Herzegovina) in the Chamber music category, in April 2018 artists became laureates of the 1st Prize at International Master Competition for Music Teachers and obtained recommendation from Polish Music Foundation for outstanding interpretation of Polish works. In December 2018 Anna and Julianna were awarded with 2nd Prize at International North Music Competition in Sweden (Stockholm) – chamber music category.
So far Dalbergia Duo have performed in Poland and abroad at many significant international music festivals, like inter alia Poznan Music Spring (Poland), Agora Actual Percussio (Spain), Doctors in Performance (Lithuania).
Julianna and Anna are both active members of Marimba Festiva – International Marimba Association. The Duo actively runs marimba masterclasses and workshops inspired by their percussion passion to the younger generation.
At the end of 2019 Dalbergia Duo released their successful, debut CD Concept Album “Roots”, which contains Polish music written and arranged for two marimbas. Most of The CD repertoire was written for Dalbergia.
“Rutkowska and Siedler-Smuga have specialized in getting used to the unbridled nature of the percussion instrument – the seeds are already sprouting, sprouting roots, now it’s time to nurture this plant.” W. Zochowska
“Dalbergia Duo’s debut marimba-percussion duo album is a world level record in every aspect. (…)” P. Iwicki
“Roots” is not only an artistic pearl, but also a disc that could boldly aspire to be an audiophile edition. (…) ”
P. Iwicki
http://www.dalbergiaduo.com/
